


Recovery

by SeekingValhalla



Category: Loki - Fandom, Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Thor - Fandom
Genre: Banter, Bickering, F/M, Fluff, Reader Insert, Recovery, See reader continue to be stubborn, Smut, War, but also see Loki continue to love her for it, but maybe still some?, less pain than Hubris, one-shot chapters for the most part, prologue to Hubris
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-04
Updated: 2019-01-04
Packaged: 2019-10-04 13:53:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,275
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17305811
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SeekingValhalla/pseuds/SeekingValhalla
Summary: These are all one-shot chapters that take place after the events of Hubris.In order to understand the characters and the relationships I will write about here, please go read the other one.I will update this as I feel like it in between trying to write an entirely new fic. Feel free to leave suggestions in the comments, as well!





	Recovery

Two months since Fritjof’s death, and nothing was normal for you still. Nothing would _ever_ be normal for you, but that was something you learned a long time ago. What you were doing now wasn't necessarily something you were supposed to be doing. You had been barred off of anything fun, or so it seemed to you. No alcohol, no fighting, no fun activities that could hurt you, no walking in crowded areas while alone; nothing. And you understood, at least partially. You were on a strict watch for a full six months, as your body was still recovering because, apparently, dying and coming back to life wasn't a healthy thing, nor was being stripped of magic that you weren't supposed to have good either. 

After an initial two weeks of nothing but bandages and salves, a doctor had informed you that you needed more. Your body was rejecting the healing process, and needed more than what you had already been doing. Every single day, Loki and you had to sit together so that he could transfer his magic back into you little by little, but it was taxing, even for him. In the beginning especially, you couldn't get through a session without puking or nearly passing out. Your body doesn’t want the magic anymore because of Fritjof, but it also needs it. What a double edged sword that is. 

Now that it's been a few weeks, the process hasn’t been as taxing, but all you ever wanted to do afterwards was sleep away the pain. But to even reach the state of sleep, Loki has to calm your nerves and tears and pain by distracting you with readings from his favorite book. You felt awful about it, because you knew you kept him up each night, and some nights the effects were worse. Last night had you in a feverish haze, and you were certain you ruined part of the carpet when you grew sick. Loki, too, was nearly just as exhausted as you were of the process. His magic had mostly come back now, but to be transferring so much of it to you, even through a little at a time, was tiresome.

Now all you wanted was fresh air, and to not be under constant watch. Today you didn't want to feel like a burden, even if Loki would never utter that word to you. He had a meeting with his father, and so you snuck out of the palace and down to the marketplace where you could walk on your own. Only, people didn't leave you alone. You were not an unrecognizable face anymore, and that meant constantly being stopped and asked questions you didn't want to answer. 

The next person who told you that you were a “hero” wasn’t going to be graced with a smile.

“Thank you so much,” someone began to say, and when you looked at her, she stopped her thanks immediately. “Are you alright? You look sick,” she told you, and you brushed by her as quickly as you could, pushing through the crowd until you reached the steps to the fountain. You fell forward then, using a higher step to push off of and prevent yourself from tumbling down entirely. Turning over, you sat, leaning your head back as the world spun around you.

 _This_ was why you were not allowed to travel far without a companion. 

“Are you Ove?”

Your brows furrowed, and you uncovered your eyes to see a little boy and his friends watching over you. “That's not my name,” you told them, and the boy who spoke seemed unsure of what to say. “But yes,” you sighed, and immediately the children sat beside you on the stairs. It was incredible how quickly kids were to adapt to someone's behaviors, as they were all now laying on the stairs in the same way you were. 

“Wasn’t it gross being around a bunch of boys?” one of the girls asked, earning an inch of a smile from you. 

“Oh, it was,” you answered her, turning your head to look at her. “However I find myself much more like boys than I do girls.”

“Are you sick?”

“More so injured, but sick too, I guess.”

“Did you see any wolves on your trip?”

“I may have.”

“Why can't we join the army _now_?” 

“Because it's much too frightening for little kids.”

“Yeah,” a boy pshawed, “but we’re not little.”

You sat up a little then, squinting your eyes as you looked them all over. “You seem little to me,” you remarked, chuckling as they groaned. “Even adults can be frightened by war.”

“Were you?”

You swallowed. Of course. But how would telling them such a thing bring them comfort? Would that not scare them more? “Yes, but I think all of us were. We were friends though, at least some of us. That helped more than anything. The same way you lot probably didn't want to talk to me until you all agreed on it.”

A chorus of denial filed the air. 

“I wanted to talk to you right away,” the girl from before said proudly.

“And what did you want to talk about?” You asked her. She shied away at the question, a deep blush covering her whole face that gave you a good idea of what, _who_ , she wanted to ask about. “You can ask me anything, I don't care.”

“What’s Prince Loki like?”

“She has a crush on him!” One of the boy's laughed.

“Do not!”

“Loki is, first and foremost, an irritation,” you told them, watching as their eyes widened at the gall of what you said. 

“But is he princely? My mom said that the princes are supposed to be.”

You laughed. “Thor is much more princely than Loki is, but Loki too has his charm.”

“But aren't you going to marry Prince Loki, not Prince Thor?”

“Well do I look like a princess?” You asked her, and she didn't quite know how to respond, so you shook your head. “I don't, that's okay. Loki is just as unconventional as me, and we both hated each other when we first met each other. There is not a fairytale story between us.”

“But you’re going to marry him, right?”

A nervous laugh came from you that time, and you paused to answer. You haven't thought much about the future up until a few months ago. You had always assumed that your end would come when Fritjof’s did. Never did you think that you would be where you were now. 

“If she’ll agree to having to deal with me, then yes,” Loki answered for you, approaching the stairs with a blissful smile on his face. “Are you alright?” He asked you next, and you gave him a thumbs up, knowing that he would most likely make a fuss about it later on when the two of you were alone.

“Your wife is cooler than you,” one of them said, with a confidence that made you snicker in agreement, but also awkwardness as he referred to you as Loki’s wife.

Loki, too, seemed to take notice of that and smile. “Admittedly, yes,” Loki told him, and you sat up, patting the seat next to you. He raised his eyebrows, not expecting you to wish to stay with the kids any longer. But this was a needed break for you, and an interaction that couldn't possibly stress you out about your condition. Kids don't press things if they feel you’re uncomfortable as often as adults do. “We’re staying, I suppose?” He said as he sat down, and you grinned.

“Just to entertain their questions for a while,” you told him.

“What about Prince Thor?” 

“What about him?” Loki asked, hardly ever in the mood to bring the attention to his brother rather than himself.

“Why won't you marry him instead?”

You laughed loudly then, glancing over at Loki with a sly smile. “I don't know,” you answered, shrugging your shoulders. “I do admit that when Loki is in a mood I wonder why he was the Prince I got stuck with.” 

Loki knew you did not mean it, and he gave you a lascivious smirk that told you all you needed about what his response would be if children were not around. But for the sake of innocent ears, he replied, “Thor would not be able to keep her attention or match her attitude the way I can. And also, if he came even close to her I would find a problem with it.” He wrapped his arms around you then and kissed you on the cheek, grinning at the way the kids made disgusted sounds at the display. 

“You’re making them gag,” you laughed, pushing away his face and moving away from his grasp to stand up. When the world spun around you and your feet felt as though they had vanished, Loki stood and quickly supported you with his hands on your shoulders so that you wouldn't fall down. You muttered a thanks under your breath, frowning a little when you saw the worried looks of the children.

“It’s time we leave you, unfortunately,” Loki told them apologetically. “My Love is still recovering, and so she just gets a little light on her feet sometimes.”

With that short explanation, the two of you said goodbye to the kids, and you let Loki help you back through the crowds. 

“I just needed a breather,” you explained to him, focusing on the ground ahead of you so that you did not trip. “By myself, for once. I wanted to see—”

“If perhaps you weren't babied, you could improve your condition faster,” Loki finished for you, and you wrinkled your nose. You had told him too many times for him to not know. “I expected you would test your hypothesis, as you _always do_ , despite it never working, but I at least was hoping you would tell someone about it.”

You tilted your head to look at a stand selling knives and flasks as you walked. “Well,” you began, a lie on the tip of your tongue that you knew he would see through, “I did tell someone.”

He rolled his eyes. “Bjarke?” He questioned, and you confirmed his guess through your lack of a response. “He told me that he had no idea, and I decided that if I threatened him to get him to tell the truth, you wouldn't like it.”

“He's my best friend,” you declared proudly, turning to look at Loki. “And if he were to ever feel that I was in danger, he would tell you about it.”

“I feel he would rather find you himself.”

“Well, perhaps, but he trusts you as well, or at least sympathizes with your worries when it comes to me.”

“Everyone sympathizes with my worries about you, Love. You’re a pain in the ass most of the time.”

You laughed, and the sound of it broke his false frown. “And yet, you’ve loved it since the very beginning,” you shot back, turning your head to see if the children were still near the fountain steps. “Kids are a good distraction,” you commented, turning back to see a shit eating grin on his face. 

“Would you like to try for one?” He asked, raising his eyebrows. You snorted, lagging behind him just so that you could step on the back of his shoe. Being used to the action, Loki paused, bent over and slid his shoe back on easily, causing you to wrinkle your nose. “I understand,” he began, gently pulling at your ear. “You much prefer the process rather than the product.”

“ _Loki_ , shut up,” you told him, eyes catching the gaze of an older woman who had heard all that Loki had said to you. She gave you a knowing glance and smile, and you turned your head to the ground. “I thought I was supposed to be the loud one,” you grumbled, sticking an elbow into his side. 

He let it strike him, chuckling merrily to himself as though your discontent pleased him. And, most likely, it did in this case. “So no children?” He asked again, and his raised eyebrows told you that it was not a genuine question.

“Wouldn't you just love little ones running around that shared our personality traits?” You asked him, wiggling your fingers as you thought of whether they would inherit his magic. “Capable of magic, mischief, unbridled sarcasm and stubbornness, prone to injury, anger issues, shall I continue?”

He shook his head, and the bobbing of his adam’s apple showed his worry. “They at least wouldn't have the same parental issues that we have,” he offered, and you laughed. 

“Oh, but imagine when they do something wrong and we have to scold them. They’ll shoot right back with a ‘mom ignored the Allfather and snuck into war,’ and perhaps even a ‘dad used to be a complete asshole!’”

“Me being an asshole is all you could come up with?”

You shook your head. “I thought I would be nice to you,” you cooed, and in retaliation he lifted you off of his feet and into your arms. It had become his favorite way of irritating you, as every time he did it you groaned, but still sank further into his arms. 

“Again, Prince Loki?” A maid asked as she walked by, and you turned your head so that you could see her.

“Just wait, when I'm recovered, I'll be hauling his ass around like this,” you told her, grinning when she laughed at both your crude language and the idea of it in general.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, thank you to everyone who has loved Hubris and has encouraged me to keep writing.


End file.
